THE final list of candidates vying to be Labour’s next parliamentary candidate for Worcester has been revealed.
The shortlist of names who are looking to represent Worcester for Labour at the next general election includes Tom Collins, Neena Gill, Danny Adilypour, Ellie Groves and Mark Williams.
Neena Gill served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the West Midlands in two stints between 1999 and 2009 and again between 2014 and 2020.
The former chief executive of housing association Newlon and current trustee of JK Rowling-founded children’s charity Lumos, had looked to stand for Labour in last May’s contest to be West Midlands mayor before later withdrawing and has previously shown an interest in standing to be Labour’s candidate in Edgbaston in Birmingham.
Also making Labour’s shortlist of candidates is Ellie Groves, who was born in Worcester and went to school in Callow End, and is currently managing director of the Institute for Economic and Monetary Policy at banking and economic thinktank the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF).
Danny Adilypour is the current deputy leader and cabinet member for sustainable growth and new homes at Lambeth Council in London and has served as a councillor since 2014. He was re-elected in May with 21 per cent of the vote and was once a political adviser to Kidderminster-schooled, former Labour deputy leader and West Bromwich MP Tom Watson.
Mark Williams served as a Southwark councillor in South London between 2011 and 2018 and in various stages was in charge of regeneration, planning, transport and new homes in different cabinet roles. He lives in London but grew up and attended school in Droitwich.
Tom Collins has lived in Worcester for 17 years and works at Worcester Bosch.
He served as a councillor representing the city’s Rainbow Hill ward for Labour between 2018 until May.
The city has been represented by Conservative Robin Walker since 2010 after he defeated Mike Foster – who was the first and last Labour MP to be elected in Worcester having held the seat for 13 years from 1997.
Robin Walker won again in 2015 and 2017 to keep hold of the seat for the Conservatives – finishing in front of Labour’s Joy Squires on both occasions with majorities of 5,646 and 2,508 – before defeating the city’s now Labour leader Lynn Denham with over half the vote and a 6,758 majority in 2019.
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